A survey in the resource-constrained project and multi-project scheduling problems

Abstract

Resource-Constrained Project and Multi-Project Scheduling Problems (RCPSPs and RCMPSPs) have been essential topics of study over the last three decades. Both problems consist of activities that must be scheduled subject to precedence and resource constraints. This paper surveys studies of RCPSPs and RCMPSPs under consideration of four categories of project activities, simply recorded as categories A, B, C, and D. Category A refers to activities can be performed using fixed resources along The Y-axis over fixed durations along The X-axis, and cannot be interrupted. Category B applies to activities that can be performed using the same type of resource in category A but can be interrupted. Category C refers to activities that can be performed using flexible resources over flexible durations and cannot be interrupted. Category D refers to activities can be performed using flexible resources over flexible durations and can be interrupted. Many algorithms have been developed to solve the RCPSPs and RCMPSPs when activities are classified individually under category A, B, or C. However, in practice, welding, cutting or assembly activities in a manufacturing projects for an oil cargo can be under a new category so-called D. The project manager can speed up or slow down these activities by allocating or removing more resources, and these activities can be interrupted or can be resumed at any time. From the perspective of activity categories, we intend to review the literature on RCPSPs and RCMP-SPs and to obtain the new research directions for solving the problems.

Fuzzy Mathematical Models for Maximizing Contractors’ and Clients’ Satisfaction by Considering Flexible Start Date of the Project

“…On the other hand, regardless of what method or PR has been used, two general approaches are used to solve RCMPS problems: (1) single project approach which by using dummy tasks and precedence arrows converts multi-projects into a mega-project. 2Multi-projects approach that keeps up the projects with their exclusive critical path and tries to allocate them common resources [28]. Nabipoor Afruzi et al [29] and Zhang et al [30] used the first approach to allocate resources of multi-projects.…”

Relocation Scheduling in a Two-Machine Flow Shop with Resource Recycling Operations

“…Resource-constrained project scheduling problems (RCPSP) have received considerable attention for decades. Please refer to Brucker, Drexl, Möhring, Neumann, and Pesch [2], Habibi, Barzinpour, and Sadjadi [3] Herroelen, De Reyck, and Demeulemeester [4], Issa and Tu [5] for comprehensive reviews on RCPSP. The resource constraint featured in the relocation problem is different traditional ones in the sense that the amount of resource released by an activity is not necessarily the same as that acquired for commencing the activity.…”

A Competitive Nature-Inspired Cuckoo Search Algorithm for Solving the Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem

“…Each node represents an activity, and the numbers above and below the node denote the estimated activity duration and the resource demands, respectively. Despite being hard to make a precedence-and resource-feasible schedule, the RCPSP is a very applicable scheduling problem that has attracted increasing interest in both academic and engineering fields (Pellerin, et al, 2020;Ben Issa & Tu, 2020;Nozari & Szmelter 2018). Many complicated scheduling problems such as job shop scheduling, flow-shop scheduling, and assembly line balancing may be subsumed from the classical RCPSP (Artigues, et al, 2011;Brucker, 2002;Jamshidi and Sadeghi 2021).…”